About half of Canadian physicians expressed some enthusiasm about AI, yet 81% said there should be a legal framework for its use in medicine, according to an October 3 Medscape report.
In a survey of more than 700 physicians across all specialties about their views on AI in the medical workplace, 47% expressed enthusiasm, while 31% said they were neutral, and 22% said they were apprehensive. Medscape published results in its Canada: Physicians and AI Report 2024.
Most Canadian physicians also don’t feel up to speed on the technology, with just 10% describing themselves as “very knowledgable” about AI in the workplace, the survey found. However, a majority (72%) said that it is “very important” for doctors to become educated about AI and its potential applications.
Less than 10% of Canadian physicians are already implementing AI for various aspects, such as researching conditions, patient scheduling, and office administrative tasks, and 42% said they “would not consider” using AI for treating patients. Thirty-eight percent said they wouldn’t use it for patient communications either, according to the report.
Physicians for the most part aren’t worried about AI replacing their clinical judgment and expertise, with 56% indicating they were “not at all” or “not very” concerned, whereas 28% said they were somewhat concerned and 16% said they were very concerned.
In addition, only one-third of physicians expressed a desire to be an early adopter of the technology at work, with 62% saying their workplace should take a “wait-and-see” approach, Medscape reported.
In total, 718 physicians from 30 specialties completed the 10-minute online survey between, January 5 to May 1, with family medicine physicians representing 33% of those surveyed.
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